Music/Events/Other

***** Delray Marketplace *****

Posted on February 26th, 2013 · Delray Beach Music/Events/Other

image

***** Delray Marketplace *****

Finally, Delray Marketplace a 258,000 square foot “center” opened in Delray Beach at the intersection of West Atlantic Avenue and Lyons Road.

Check www.delraymarket.com for a list of stores/businesses that includes Publix, Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille, Chico’s, White House/Black Market, Jos. A Bank and Burt & Max’s Grille.

Here’s a “call” for you guys…the Delray Marketplace will prove to be an absolute “white elephant” and a financial disaster for most of the tenants that took leases.

Just for starters- stop and think for a second…
Do we really need another Jos. A Bank men’s clothing store peddling–buy 1 suit and get 3 suits and 9 ties for free?
Do we really need an upscale candy store named IT’SUGAR where candy sells for “an arm and a leg?”
Do we really need another White House/Black Market a women’s chain which literally has stores in every major American shopping mall?
Do we really need another Chico’s a women’s chain which literally has stores in every major American shopping mall?

Look! Jeff Eats could go on and on–telling you that Delray Marketplace is just like that movie “Groundhog Day”—but I won’t.

Real simple…America’s retail-space is OVERBUILT. In this particular case, Delray Beach–doesn’t need any new retail businesses. Trust me, every one of its residents has seen it-done it.

I’m hearing that some “tenants” are paying 50 bucks a square foot…to be part of what will prove to be Armageddon.

Only time will tell, but my money says that most of Delray Marketplace’s tenants will dread the day that their lawyers said it was “ok” to sign their leases.

236 Comments to “***** Delray Marketplace *****”

  1. DummyLou says...

    A load of dumb stores there.
    The biggest dumbest ideas are the olive oil and the foto stores.

  2. VeryMan says...

    Jeff, first time there yesterday. my bet is that at least 1/2 of the tenants will go out of business within 1 year. The landlord should have put Trader Joe’s there instead of Publix.

  3. EK says...

    ROTFLMFAO.
    The Olive Oil, Candy, Foto stores have absolutely no chance whatsoever of making it.
    What in the world could these guys have been thinking when they signed leases.
    The population is all wrong.

  4. Cropper says...

    The Publix there is huge.
    It is too far away from the rest of the other stores to generate any business for them.
    Poorly layed out center.

  5. Mike says...

    Back home in California,where we have
    a mall similar to the Marketplace. It’s called
    The Grove, anchored by a Nordstrom and
    adjacent to the famous Farmer’s Market.
    Traffic here is constant throughout the day
    and evening. Unlike the poorly thought out
    Marketplace, The Grove has ample parking
    for all.
    Truly don’t understand how the vendors who
    are in Delray didn’t demand more parking spaces at the outset; as so many others have
    mentioned, on a weekend it’s almost impossible to find a spot and to think that
    Valet parking turns away customers…it’s too
    surreal to imagine.
    Gnats weren’t an issue when I left town; sounds like (once again) poor planning and
    poorer execution prevailed.
    Who is going to traipse over to this place in the middle of a sticky summer to shop in blazing heat and humidity?
    What were all these people thinking when they commited to such a set-up?

  6. GvA says...

    When you enter from Lyons if cars are dropping people off by the movies you can’t even get into the place. What a mess this center is.

  7. BVG says...

    i think that most of the tenants in this center are going to get wiped out. The foto store, candy store, olive oil store, upscale boutique are going to be the first to go. They have absolutely nothing that anyone needs. The guys who own these 4 stores cant be too smart. Too bad.

  8. Ddf says...

    I say that the olive guy is the first to go.
    Any takers?

    • US34 says...

      It’s going to be either the olive or foto.
      Dumbest stores.

  9. Vinny says...

    The food in the movies’ sports bar is very good.

  10. Carl F. says...

    Finally got to this one over the weekend. Parking setup up is a mess.
    The store mix is as dumb as can be.

  11. GOGOLOU says...

    last night at 8pm foto store empty same for olive oil.
    what were these guys thinking. just a matter of time before they close.
    ridiculous ideas.

  12. DUMBOLOU says...

    Is the FOTO store still open?
    I got a $100 bet with my kid brother that it will close before the OLIVE OIL store does? He thinks vice versa.

    • SkippyW says...

      Both are still opened.
      It will be close but I think the Olive joint will close first but rest assured the Foto store won’t be far behind.

  13. BradE says...

    Parking layout is a disaster.

  14. Shelly Gold says...

    Bet you by this time next year at least 30% of the current tenants will be gone.

    • Mankind says...

      I say 45 percent.

  15. CLAUS890 says...

    Was there last night.
    There sure are a ton of dumb stores there.
    I think the dumbest one has to be that OLIVE OIL one. WTF.

  16. Jenna says...

    We were there when they had the ‘Grand Opening’ some months back which was supposed to have live music, and some free stuff.. whatever. They had a few baloons to give away and a few kids had one or so. The music feature was a single guy doing maybe a one man music thing.. all recorded and just some dissapointed kids running around the area. No one was paying attention to him.. he was up front there all alone. The restaurants seemed very over priced and the parking is angeled in to the right or left on narrow streets. . . and when trying to back out everyone has to wait and the cars get stacked up. The promoters had a great crowd there and absolutely blew it ! Very bad first impression of an opening event.. have not been back since. Poor management … they should all be fired for that bungled so called ‘event’. Do they think everyone is stupid ?

  17. RASE says...

    Did the olive oil guy close yet?
    He’ll be the first to go and then the Foto guy goes.

  18. Fred M. says...

    jeff
    was there last sat around 8pm and it was almost impossible to get a parking spot. burt max busy as was shulas. yogurt busy and movies also busy. rest os stores not too much business. I agree with many here that a lot of the stores are going to crap out and some will make it.

  19. GFRE says...

    The foto owner has a huge business background. Too bad he’s going to miss with this foto idea. delray is probably one of the worst places a person could ver open this concept. Cant for the life of me think why he picked such a hopel;ess site. I guess his business sense sometimes misses.

  20. DINKIELOU says...

    hey jeff, they added outside bands very Friday night. all of the list published bands work at the casinos.

  21. David N says...

    Foto store sucks.And I thought that the owner was a smart guy.

  22. POSNER says...

    Can’t quite get my head around this fotobar store. Don’t see how it can possibly make it in Delray. Also not too impressed with that olive oil store. Not in Delray. Tried Bella Amici the new pizza place, fair at best. Loved Max’s.

  23. Sid L. Turner says...

    Don’t like the layout. Parking stinks.

  24. Sam says...

    Would a Kilwins do well next to that movie theater and Cabo? They would probably compete with the yogurt store for ice cream but their chocolates/fudge might do well.

    • Sid L. Turner says...

      sam, I don’t think that there are enough people in that center to warrant a kilwin’s.

      • Sam says...

        I was there earlier today and spoke to a few owners. They all say that daytime is pretty dead but the evenings make up for it. They really do have a parking problem but Kite already has plans to expand parking. Overall, the place has a cool vibe. I dont know if it is a successful business model but it is a place my family and I will frequent since we only live a few miles away and theres little else in the area.

        • it’s a ghost town during the day. only busy on Friday and Saturday nights. when it rains, the whole center is DEAD. look for a whole bunch of stores to soon fail.

  25. Mike says...

    Dropped into the Polaroid foot store.
    It’s a nice place. Friendly, informative staff,
    prices reasonable.
    More folks need to give this place a shot.

    • zeke says...

      most people don’t need what they are selling. has no chance os staying in business,

    • Polaroid might work in a huge tourist area, not Delray Beach in the middle of nowhere. Big mistake opening here. The owner is loaded so he’ll keep it going so nobody knows that he opened a really huge disaster.They are doing minimal business at best and that’s being kind.,

  26. Neal G. says...

    got caught in the rain there yesterday around 3pm. every business was empty.

  27. Juke says...

    When the free rent deals end, the vacancies will begin.

  28. Myrna says...

    This is the problem…the world does not revolve around the 65 and older crowd.
    This center is aimed at the younger set moving into the Bridges.

    • ZED says...

      Betcha the average age in The Bridges is close to 60.

  29. Wendy H says...

    I have no idea how the olive store is even still open? What were they thinking. They definitely needed an anchor store to draw people in. It’s a nice place to eat, but that’s about it. A whole foods store would have done great. All these small stores, that have nothing to offer, have no chance. I’m thinking of opening up something, but I can’t say what b/c someone else may like the idea!!! So if it happens, you will just have to wait and see. We need one desperately. Any guesses?

  30. Klein says...

    3:30 pm at Delray a Marketplace and it’s literally a ghost town. The stores have to be dying.
    Tons of empty bays still left.

  31. COOPERMAN.H says...

    Jeff,
    Tried the new movies. Nice theaters. Cant see why anyone would go to this center other than for a couple of the restaurants, movies and Publix. The rest of the stores like the foto and olive oil stores make no sense whatsoever. No question a load of new houses are being built in the area so there are more people than ever who could come to the center. They need more user friendly stores to get people like drugstores, cleaners, bakeries etc.

  32. Dolbygeorge says...

    Poorly laid out.
    Terrible tenant mix.

  33. Stan Man says...

    Was there last night and center was very busy. Parking was a nightmare.

    • JeffEats says...

      West Boca News:

      Just had a chance to read your comments.

      Jeff Eats’ sticks by its call on Delray Marketplace.

      Just a suggestion, rather than guessing that things are going great because a new restaurant is opening-why don’t you interview the current tenants as to how they think things are going? Just a guess, if they tell you the truth-you may hear a different story than the one your are painting for your readers.

      Time will tell.

      Thanks for reading.

    • Eddie Albertson says...

      West Boca News,
      You have it wrong.
      The center is not doing well at all.
      Take a photo of current store lineup and publish it.
      Next take a photo in 12 months and publish it.
      Your readers will see a huge turn over in store names.

    • Larry Rheingold says...

      The Greek restaurant is out of business.

  34. GeorieD says...

    Movie theaters are good.
    Rest of the center sucks.
    Most of the stores are worthless and will be out if business soon enough.

  35. CarlAperkins says...

    My wife and I just got back home to Boca from DMP. We were there just walking around and other than the movies and a handful of restaurants there is NOTHING of interest there. The stores are boring as hell.

    DMP is a disaster. Going to be a load of stores going out of business

  36. Pepe says...

    Well guys this place now as i stands has been packed with people… go now…… take a look and revise comments… time will tell. The only place that I see empty is Publix…… this strip mall is betting in the future and lot of new developments are in the table

  37. Mommy434 says...

    Was just there. A freaking ghost town.
    Went to see a band called Magic Bus. They were horrendous.

    • Lou Grant says...

      I have seen this band.
      They are lousy.

    • Shopkeeper says...

      We own a store in the center.
      We and almost every other independent are doing literally no business.
      Don’t believe everything you read.
      We and others are in talks with the owners for rent reductions.
      Stay tuned.

      • Mike says...

        I’ve followed the progress (or more accurately the decline) of this
        project since it opened.
        Have been in California for some time, but upon my return curiosity
        got the best of me and I drove over last week.
        It appears as if the only places doing business are the movie complex
        and Burt and Max’s…or whatever it’s called.
        That someone has broken ground for another eatery is astounding.
        Looks as if the place maintains a 20-25% vacancy rate.
        Calls to their local rental/management agent go unreturned.
        You poor souls were given (maybe) 1,000 or so parking spaces, not
        including Valet spaces. If the movie/bowling space is busy on a Saturday, the rest of you suffer. Publix finds a need to station a cop car in their lot in order to provide parking for their few customers.
        Meanwhile, I’ve never seen more than 50 shoppers in that market.
        You folks need not only substantial rent reductions (common gossip
        had it that some of you were paying 10% of what others of you got
        suckered into) and the schlemiels at Kite need to woo some Holiday-
        type retailers to the area. A weekend Farmer’s Market mightn’t be a bad idea.
        I remain stupefied to observe that all of you original tenants still have your doors open.
        Wish you the best.

  38. Mister Tenant says...

    Jeff,
    This shopping center is even worse than you thought it would be.

    We own a ‘mom & pop’ store in the center and we are dying a painful death here.

    We read about how jammed the parking lot is, but what people don’t understand those cars are for workers, the movies, bowling, and a handful of restaurants. The rest of retail is dying here.

    During the day there are virtually no people.

    Egress and ingress of the center is horrendous.

    On the weekends the center gets busy for those tenants that I mentioned above, that’s it.

    What a mess WE got ourselves into.

    • Mike says...

      So sad (but not unsurprising) to hear the story you have to tell.
      Don’t you folks (as an understandably angry and frustrated group) have
      any “flex” with the mall developers?
      Why haven’t they pledged to offer additional parking?
      An olive oil store? You’re joking…
      The Polaroid photo shop is backed by someone with deep pockets; he opened another unit at Union Station in DC and it went out of business in
      less than 9 months.
      Charming Charlie’s…?
      A candle shop?
      The sorry crew who opened the yogurt shop needed to modify their hours
      less than 6 months after they opened for business.
      ROC…is that EuroTrash money being frittered away?
      The headstrong moron who opened Bella Amici and the “Italian” pasty/coffee shop next door (that never saw fit to offer a cannoli) ran with
      his tail between his legs.
      TWO haircutting salons in one 50-unit mall? Who was asleep at the wheel
      when those two businesspeople commited to a lease?
      The kitchen goods/housewares store is an embarrasment. Already did
      a 50% off sale, months after opening.
      The real shame is that the space itself is attractive and should have been
      shopper friendly.
      Competing with with retail clerks, waiters/waitresses/bartenders and tickettakers for the movie complex for the precious few parking spaces is
      the ultimate insult.
      And yes…Mister Tenant…getting into and out of the place is an insult.
      …It could have been so much more…what a shame.

      • eric says...

        I own the hair salon, and there are not 2 hair places, 1 is a barber shop they only do mens cutting. I have the exclusive as far as hair salon goes, as an industry expert you cannot compare a barber shop to a salon 2 different animals while I agree the placement was not great they do not affect em in the least. I wish I had a day time parking issue, the real issue is the array of stores leased and the lack of intelligent advertising and marketing, we would love to see a list of what cosumers want and what improvement shold be made above the obvious compalints, thanks

  39. ZED says...

    ROC out of business.
    Just watch one by one the retailers will close.
    The center is a disaster.

  40. They need a good kosher deli.

  41. eric says...

    I am the owner of the salon Hair Studio Artists at the Delray Marketplace. I have now been there for 1.5 years and would like some updated feedback since all that is here is outdated posts, now that most stores are open with some vacancies what is the feedback. We have seen growth and understand some challenges but would like to know what everyone thinks 1 yr later and now the 2nd holiday season is here, what would you like to see in the plaza and what needs improvement.

    • Frumpkin says...

      eric,
      This plaza is a disaster.
      Other than the movies and the restaurants you retail folks are sucking wind.
      The plaza has nothing to draw people to retail.
      Chicos etc they are all in the MALL.
      It is only going to get worse for you because reality is going to set in that you really screwed up opening there. High rent and little to no foot traffic. Be a clever man and just close now and stop hoping.
      Sorry to be so blunt but you are on the Titanic.

  42. Scott M says...

    Walked around there last Sunday around 3:30pm. Empty and that includes the restaurants.
    This center is a disaster.
    A load of empty stores that have never had tenants.

  43. Mike says...

    7/15/15
    Having been out of town for awhile I found myself at the Chase branch in the Marketplace.
    By the way, all Chase personnel at this branch are kind and helpful and patient…especially with my 95 year old mother.
    Anyway, I see that Fotobar gave up the ghost.
    Rumor had it that this place was bankrolled by a guy with deep pockets. When I passed thru DC
    recently, I saw that his location inside Union Station had bit the dust in less than 9 months.
    Now Delray is RIP. Is he still a presence in Boca?
    The Marketplace itself remains a ghost town during the heat-oppressive daytime hours.
    I literally did not see more than 10 people (total)
    in any of the stores, there’s still a 20-25% vacancy rate and all that said, they did manage to increase the number of parking spaces out back. Those adjacent to the stores themselves seem to be taken over by the staff at the various stores.
    If you want to food shop without having to wait on a long check-out line, visit the Publix next door. There are never more than 30-50 people
    in the store, mostly local contractors/workers who make a beeline for the take-out sandwich counter.
    As I’ve said in previous longwinded commentaries, this space cries out for some non
    cookie cutter tenants, like a Trader Joe’s or
    Fresh Market or Whole Foods.
    How did the Toddler Tuesdays thing work out?

  44. Biff says...

    Looking pretty good

  45. Goldy says...

    A load of stores for rent.

  46. Slip Mahoney says...

    Good call, ItSugar went Chapter 11.

  47. Larry Fine says...

    Hadn’t been here in years.
    My wife and I walked around it last night.
    What a disaster.
    Loads of empty stores.
    Bankrupt closed movie theater.
    No one in the street.

  48. TURNER says...

    The game isn’t over yet.
    Ask the olive guy or pizza guy or foto guy or man cave, or coffee guy, or Jo’s banks how they are doing.
    Just watch as Jeff Eats is right on the money.

  49. TZ says...

    You have no idea as to what you are talking about.
    Most of the retailers in Delray Marketplace are sucking wind.
    Don’t count Jeff Eats’ prediction out just yet.

  50. EK 71 says...

    Ask the Olive Oil guy how he is doing.
    Or maybe the pizza guy. Or maybe the coffee guy.
    You’ll see that this center was a disaster from day one.
    My money says Jeff Eats got the call just right.
    Get back to us in August.

Leave a Comment